After spending months in the gym toning up and putting money aside to pay for your costume, it can all come to naught only leaving you with tender places and a pile of doctor bills.

Seeing first-hand the pain and suffering some women go through for the sake of wearing a costume is not worth it, Chin says, if it is at the expense of your breasts.

Ms Brafit is a lifestyle company established in 2002 that deals with women’s health, particularly in the areas of breast health and breast care.

Ironically over the years Carnival and cleavage have synonymously gone hand-in-hand. Given the rush and the excitement of the Carnival season, some people do not take the time to get properly fitted for their costume.

Chin cautioned revellers who choose to accept their costume “as is” since they would be the ones who are in pain later on.

She said, “Women do a lot of naughty things and I say this because we have to look at our breasts as a part of the body that does not only symbolise femininity or sexuality but others things such as nourishment for the newborn. It is the first form of sustenance for a child so when we treat our breasts badly it not only impacts on you the individual but on everything.

“Situated just on the outskirts of the Queen’s Park Savannah, this is the first thing I see, women exercising in the incorrect bra. This is not just around Carnival time but in general,” she said.

“I believe some people take it for granted that a sports bra is something that they should just wear for exercise. They do not understand that for the various exercise disciplines, there are various needs you may have for that first layer of clothing. For example, if you are doing yoga versus kickboxing versus track and field, you should really understand the level of activity you are going to do before you choose a sports bra,” Chin said.

“At the end of the day it boils down to comfort. If I am playing mas and have to wear a costume for two days, I have to be comfortable. I want to be able to enjoy myself without fixing anything or being self-conscious. I also have to take my health into consideration so anything that is too tight that can cut off my circulation or make me uncomfortable, the word is ‘NO’. If I am investing in fun then I expect fun,” she said.

While many women engage in exercise for health and wellness, wearing the wrong bra can actually be doing more harm than good, Chin said.

She noted a common question she gets, how do I know if a bra is fitting me correctly?

“There is no step-by-step guide when it comes to fit since every woman’s body is so different. What might be comfortable for you may not be for me so it really depends on a lot of things. That’s why I work with my clients, one on one. It is not something specific that you can zero in on; except that all that breast tissue should be inside the bra. It should be in comfortably and not forced in or compacted in,” she said.

She noted that when it comes to an undergarment, wearing the wrong bra was the number one problem for most women.